


Library Day

by aladyindarkshadows



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Elementary School, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 08:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5085304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aladyindarkshadows/pseuds/aladyindarkshadows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Missouri tries to keep the kids happy with the books they want, but Dean hasn't returned the one Castiel wants.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Library Day

Missouri loved her job. Being an elementary school librarian was a humble task, but it suited her just fine. She got to see kids just for the fun part: reading picture books and helping them choose which books to take home. There was nothing like the smile of a child skipping away with that perfect book in their hands. Of course there were disappointments too. She hated having to tell a kid that the library didn’t have that book, or that someone had it already checked out. She hated it more when there was one child desperate for a book that was never available.

Castiel was one such child.

He was a bright student, quiet and polite but eager and excited about learning—especially reading. He was one of her best second graders. Usually she looked forward to seeing him and how those huge blue eyes just lit up when he saw all the books. But the poor little dear had been asking for two weeks now to borrow _Thidwick the Big Hearted Moose_ by Dr. Seuss, and each time she had to tell him that it was checked out; the boy who had it hadn’t returned it yet.

It was now week three and the book wasn’t back yet.

Castiel’s class came into the library for story time. As soon as the story was done and she was dismissing the children to look for their books, Castiel raised his hand.

“Do you have Thidwick yet, Miss M?” he asked.

“No, sugar, I don’t, but I pulled out a bunch of different moose books for you to look at this week.”

“There are other moose books?” His eyes went wide as he hadn’t thought about that before. Before now Missouri had tried showing him different Dr. Seuss books, but he hadn’t wanted any of them. Now it seemed she found the answer.

“Of course there are! Come over here to the desk where I put them for you.”

Castiel looked through the simple nonfiction and other story books that Missouri had on the desk. “I want this one!”

“If You Give a Moose a Muffin,” Missouri read. “That’s one of my absolute favorites. You’ve made a good choice.”

At last the little boy left the library looking happier than when he came in. That was the sort of thing Missouri loved.

 

* * *

 

It was a couple days later when Garth Fitzgerald, a first grade teacher, approached Missouri.

“Well, Miss M, that book turned up,” he said as he leaned on her checkout counter. He handed her a large green book: Thidwick the Big Hearted Moose.

“At last,” she said. “I had one little boy desperate to get this book. So Dean Winchester finally returned it.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. Dean’s a bit of a handful, greatest little guy you’ll ever meet, but has a habit of letting anger get the better of him. His home life isn’t so good. He moves a lot. Home address is usually a motel.”

Missouri shook her head. “Those are the ones that really break my heart. I hate doing it, but maybe he’d be better keeping his library books at school.”

“He suggested that very thing when he handed me the book,” Garth said with a smile. “Like I said, he’s the greatest little dude. Very grown up. When he's not making trouble on the playground.”

“I'll keep an eye out for him. You're bringing in your class later this afternoon?”

“That I am. Looking forward to it, Miss M!”

Missouri did notice Dean Winchester. She hadn't before because he was just a normal boy, and she saw so many come through the library. It took a while to get to know the first graders each year. He hadn't come to her looking for any books. He looked at the shelves and pulled what he liked. Missouri watched him as he kept going along one shelf as if hoping a book would appear.

“Can I help you find something?” Missouri asked him.

“Are there any more books like that one?” He pointed to the poster of _If You Give a Mouse a Cookie_ just above the shelves where he stood. The poster that had been placed in that location so the kids could be directed to those popular titles.

“Well, you seem to be looking right at them.” She pulled one from the shelf and handed it to him.

He turned the book over. There were pictures of the different titles and he pointed to one. “I want that one.”

_If You Give a Moose a Muffin_. Oh dear.

“Sorry, darlin, but that one's checked out.” He looked devastated, so she added, “But I could make sure and hold it for you for next time. Do you want help choosing something else this time?”

He shook his head.

“What about a different Dr. Seuss book? How would you like _Green Eggs and Ham_?”

“No, I've already got that one at home.”

“So I should just let you find something on your own?”

He nodded. When the class left Dean carried a book he had eventually just grabbed at random. There was no smile on his face. Well, there was still next week.

 

* * *

 

Only there wasn’t.

For the first time ever Castiel forgot his library book. She didn’t press the matter too much since she saw how upset he seemed about it. She knew the signs of coming tears. She reassured him that he had all week to turn in his book and pick another. She expected the book to come back the next day, but it didn’t. When Garth brought in his first graders she once again had to disappoint Dean. The worst thing was that the little boy seemed to expect the disappointment.

Next week would be different.

 

* * *

 

But it wasn’t. Once again Castiel came without his library book.

“All right, Castiel, you know what that means,” said his teacher Mrs. Naomi. “You’ll have time-away at recess each day until the book comes back or is paid for.”

Castiel hung his head.

To Missouri, the punishment was harsh, but it was usually quite effective. Hopefully this time the book would be back before Garth brought in his class.

Naomi’s class left and not long after recess began. Anna Milton surprised Missouri when she popped her head in the library.

“Missouri, I’ve got to run to the bathroom. Would you keep an eye on the time-away tables for me for just a minute?”

“Sure thing,” Missouri answered. The tables were just at the end of the hall from the library, so it wasn’t a hard request.

There were about five kids at the tables. A few of the trouble makers were known to her, but she was surprised to find Castiel sitting at one table across from Dean. Castiel was bent over his worksheet, but occasionally he looked up to glare at Dean, who was tapping his pencil on the table loudly.

“There’s no drumming at time-away, Dean,” Missouri reminded him. “Don’t you have something to work on?”

“Nope,” said Dean.

“All right, but you need to sit still so you don’t disturb anyone. See, Castiel is here working hard.”

“Well, why’s he in time-away if he’s so good?”

“I forgot my library book,” Castiel said quietly.

“Is that all?” Dean scrunched his face. “Is it a good book? What one is it?”

“If You Give a Moose a Muffin,” Castiel answered.

“Hey! That’s the book I wanted!” Dean looked up at Missouri.

“Exactly. That’s why forgetting a book is so serious. Do you remember the book you forgot for a long time?”

“That was Thidwick. And I didn’t forget it. I just couldn’t find it.”

“I wanted that book,” said Castiel.

“Really?” said Dean.

Castiel nodded.

“Huh.”

“Do you think you’ll remember to bring your book back now so Dean can check it out?” Missouri asked Castiel.

He nodded. “I know where it is. If I bring it back can I get Thidwick?”

“Of course, sugar.”

Castiel smiled.

“Thidwick is the best,” said Dean. “Especially the end with the hunters.”

“Okay, you two,” said Anna as she came up to the tables. “There’s no talking in time-away. Thank you, Missouri.”

“Any time, dear.”

 

* * *

 

Missouri didn't have Dean or Castiel requesting the same books after that. But nor was it the last she heard of those two together. Naomi came and talked to her when she found out Castiel was sneaking his books out to recess to read and swap with Dean. So long as the books weren't lost or damaged, Missouri was fine with it. It certainly explained why the requests had stopped.

A couple years later the boys were together in a combined grade class. Just seeing them as briefly as she did, Missouri knew it would be easier separating glue and molasses than getting between those two. So it came as absolutely no surprise when just a decade or so later she received the announcement of their wedding in the mail. The reception was to be held in an old hunting lodge called The Lucky Moose.


End file.
